BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASEWind River/Bighorn Basin District

Release Date:
06/27/12

Contacts:

Sarah Beckwith, 307-347-5207

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Firefighters Continue to Battle Ten Sleep Area Fires

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wind River/Bighorn Basin District (WR/BBD) firefighters and their partners continue to battle two wildfires on BLM-managed land south of Ten Sleep.

The Otter Creek Wildfire, north of Big Trails between Wyo. State Highway 434 and Red Gulch Road, and has burned an estimated 978 acres. Firefighters have made good progress towards its containment.

The Upper Bee Wildfire, east of Spring Creek Road and within the Otter Creek Drainage, has burned more than 2,000 acres in heavy fuels and sagebrush and continues to be very active. The steep canyon walls are hampering firefighting efforts, although progress was made today in the flats outside of the canyons.

“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made on the Otter Creek Wildfire,” said Incident Commander Russ Wenke. “Firefighters are working on the Upper Bee Wildfire wherever they can do it safely, and we’re hoping that lighter winds will help us in that effort.”

The fires are being managed by a Type 3 Incident Management Team. Approximately 150 people are fighting these fires from the BLM, Ten Sleep and Worland Volunteer Fire Departments, U.S. Forest Service and contract firefighting crews.

The public is urged to use caution or avoid the area entirely since fire behavior can change suddenly and fire spread is unpredictable if high winds develop.

Please report all wildfires immediately to the Cody Interagency Dispatch Center at 1-800-295-9954 or to 911.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.